Legions of loyal “Hawaii Five-O” viewers are counting the seconds in anticipation of the September 29 return of the police drama. The upcoming Season 8 was preceded by tumultuous waves of change that no one predicted, with the shocking and completely unexpected departure of series regulars Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park.
Some fan feelings remain raw regarding the negotiations, or lack of them, and the ultimate fallout, but as they say in the industry, “the show must go on.” “Hawaii Five-O” partners Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan, who portray Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett and Detective Danny Williams, will, by necessity, take on an even bigger role in the storylines for the new season.
Their bantering interactions and beloved “bromance” conflicts run so deep and that they are required to have mandatory “couples therapy” as a condition of employment. Their grounded relationship will likely help break the ice for the incoming cast -- Meaghan Rath as Tani Rey and Beulah Koale as Junior Reigns.
No matter how much love and “ohana” develops between the “Hawaii Five-O” crime-fighters as they take on cases that cannot be cracked “by the book,” traffic jams are a real problem, even for these top cops. "Hawaii Five-O" was under the gun for time and public safety according to yesterday's September 15 news, when they only had a 90-minute window to wrap up a scene.
Necessary speed
Hawaii News Now posted alerts yesterday afternoon that patrol officers would be posted to control traffic near the Honolulu Police Department to allow “Hawaii Five-O" to film.
Only five streets were impacted: Alapai and Beretania, Lisbon, Lauhala, and Punchbowl for intermittent periods between 1:30 and 3:00 PM. Delays were only expected to last from one to three minutes, and that seems hardly a sacrifice in exchange for seeing a top-tier production that contributes much to the economy of the Pacific island state.
Drivers were encouraged to take alternate routes during filming and the crew was permitted to use a maximum of 90 minutes to get the needed scenes done.
Any loyal “Hawaii Five-O” fan loves the idea of a car scene because it usually contains some of the heart-pounding action of a chase, a shootout, or a stunt scene involving a rescue to save humankind.
The best possibility is that a “cargument” between Steve and Danny could ensue. Many of those memorable exchanges are historic in the halls of “Hawaii Five-O” history, so much so that they can be enacted word for word by fans.
A good forecast for the season
Even with the recent casting changes, “Hawaii Five-O” has a favorable outlook for the season. The drama will continue to be the “stuffing” of the Friday night police drama sandwich between “MacGyver” and “Blue Bloods” on CBS.
The show should keep its expected viewer share of the 18-49 and older demographic, especially since ABC's “Shark Tank” is moving to Sundays. These changes leave CBS holding onto the most familiar faces on Fridays, and the ones on “Hawaii Five-O” are as easy on the eyes as the force is tough on perpetrators. No need to worry about this slot for “appointment TV.”
